Sakura's greatest foe
by Elie.N.P
Summary: It hurts. She won't cry. It burns. She won't move. He smirks. She punches him with all she has. A Sakura one-shot


**This is a one-shot about how Sakura has been living since they've all left her side to train. In this point of view she's also worked hard to get stronger but is still unable to beat the sole person who has always had a real power on her. **

**I hope she won't seem to be too OOC and that my mistakes (I'm French, not English) won't bother you too much. I do my best but can't find (and understand) them all.**

**Enjoy your reading!**

**Elie**

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><p><span>Sakura's greatest foe<span>

It hurts. She won't cry. It burns. She won't move. He smirks. She punches him with all she has.

He stumbles backwards, cursing her under his breath while putting his jaw back in place. The sound of his broken bones makes her eyes spark. Is she really that weak? He should be wondering by now... or not. Her whole body tenses when her face suddenly meets the dust. The bastard hasn't lost sight of his goal. He'll make her bit the ground before moving on to his next targets.

She won't let him.

She spits, then immediately regrets it. The dust goes inside her throat, her nose, she has difficulties to breath. She is suffocating, but she can't die here! She won't die so stupidly. She is a fighter, not a worm. The worm is the man who is sitting on her back, holding her head down, blocking her legs with his weight – she doesn't doubt any more the fact that there are muscles under his ridiculous clothes.

She spits again. She should stop but the need of air is stronger. She is unable to stop breathing long enough to think clearly. Isn't it paradoxical? She has to asphyxiate her brain to make it work.

She digs her nails into the dirt. She'll stop breathing. She has to. Her nails dig farther, she can feel her skin being torn apart, however too much blood has already flown for this new one to disturb her. She couldn't care less about the metallic smell.

She has to get rid of him as soon as possible - meaning now. She tenses her muscles and, with the help of the small amount of chakra she has left, successes in turning them over, pinning him to the ground with all her strength.

The bastard dares laugh at her! "How long do you think you'll be able to keep us thus kitty?"

She unceremoniously spits on his face, not bothering to give him another reply. His kunai soon finds its way into his own flesh.

She sees, with a certain satisfaction and pride, his face pales as he understands what has just happened. Turning them over hasn't been her sole trick, while diverting his attention away with their bodies pressing against each other – she isn't a fool and perfectly knows what the bump between his legs means – she's successfully stolen his weapon.

"Slut!"

"No more kitty?" she mocks.

She can see fear in his eyes but it feels bitter. He is scared because of her, not of her. He is scared because she's leading him to his death, he is scared because she's dared defy him, fight him back and win. He is scared of what she's done, of the result her action has obviously aroused, yet he isn't scared of her at all. She is a woman, a young one, she is weak and has only won because of chance.

Fate has simply abandoned him, he hasn't been defeated by the strength of a mere girl. No way.

She clenches her fists around the kunai and pushes it deeper in his chest. "I'm not weak," she scornfully spits. "Not any more. I've changed."

Blood is all over her. She pushes harder on his wound. He is dead. It doesn't matter. He is dead. She is furious, furiously frustrated. He hasn't acknowledged her strength though she's taken him and his two accomplices down by herself. She's allowed her friends to go on with their mission. She's saved their backs and, though they'll acknowledge her work, though they never doubt her skills, it isn't enough.

It isn't enough because they've been with her for too long. They've seen her prove her worth many times, too many times.

She finally gets off the corpse, sighing. She's lost them again, her nerves. It seems to happen more and more lately, mostly because all the enemies she has to fight are men who always look down at her.

"Sakura?"

She turns to her right to meet her companion's worried eyes.

"You all right?"

"Of course," she nods. "That's not all my blood," she adds while pointing at her clothes.

"That's not what I mean."

Sakura turns away. "Then the answer is no," she admits under her breath.

She isn't all right. She's become too obsessed with her getting stronger, as strong as were her friends when their ways have parted. She's wanted to reach their level, to quit being a burden. She is now able to fight by herself, for herself. She can defend her friends, kill without hesitation if she feels the necessity to do it. Blood doesn't scare her, hers as well as the others' are only liquids of which she dislikes the metallic smell.

"It's time to go back home."

The pink-haired fighter silently nods.

"You should get some rest, a lot of rest. Understood?"

She offers her friend a small smile. "If it doesn't bother you can you tell them I won't take any mission for some time?"

"Are you kidding? They'll be delighted! They've been trying to put you on vacation for weeks!" her companion beams. "It's time you take care of yourself Sakura. They wouldn't like to see you thus. You're to be ready for their return."

Sakura's smile drops and she quickly lowers her head to hide it from the other woman.

Their departure is her greatest wound, the one an eternity of sleep wouldn't get rid of. She sighs. She isn't strong at all. She feels tears gathering at the corners of her eyes but won't free them, not as long as she isn't alone.

She suddenly feels a gentle embrace around her. "You miss them. That's normal Sakura. There is nothing wrong about you. You're a great fighter. Never doubt it. Never doubt yourself."

Sakura leans into her friend's arms.

"I'm sure they've always known how strong you are. They're not expecting anything from you but to be safe and to welcome them with a wonderful smile."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes. Doubt is, in my opinion, the sole enemy you're still too weak to defeat. Can you accept that?"

Sakura ponders several long seconds about her friend's words before agreeing.

Doubt.

"I will beat it later," she whispers while surrendering to her exhaustion.

Doubt.

Since they've left her, and even before, she's always been doubting her own skills, her own strength. She understands now – but how long will it last? - that the one she needs the most to convince is, before anybody else, herself.

Will she ever get strong enough to defeat that terrible foe who lies with her?

**The End**


End file.
